Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature members from Global Exchange, Fundacion Pachamama, Women’s Earth and Climate Caucus, Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund (CELDF), CA Coastal Keepers, Council of Canadians, and Gaia participated in a Rights of Nature Strategy Summit convened by Shannon Biggs at Global Exchange in San Francisco July 29-30, 2011. Twenty-one international climate justice activists from 18 organizations focused what is needed to bring the idea of Rights of Nature to the forefront of the upcoming climate change summits including COP 17 in Durban, South Africa, the 2nd Peoples Conference in Cochabamba, Bolivia and EarthSummit 2012/Ri0+20 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in June 2012.Global Exchange hosts Rights of Nature SummitThe session began with Global Alliance members Natalia Greene, Shannon Biggs, Osprey Lake, and Robin Milam presenting developments to date with Rights of Nature in the US and globally. Ben Price of CELDF shared progress to ban gas fracking in Pennsylvania and to protect community and nature’s rights over corporate interests in over 120 communities. Group discussions focused on expanding the understanding of Rights of Nature in the context of climate change, envisioning strategies for action, and collaborating as we move forward to Durban and beyond.For a thought provocative summary, Shannon Biggs of Global Exchange and Meera Karunananthan of Council of Canadians have posted “Bubble-wrapping Nature Against Corporate Greed” on Global Exchange’s and Council of Canadian‘s blogs.
